Abstract

This study is an ethno-cultural exploration concerning identity as is articulated through the work of photographer Sandra Semchuk. The particular focus of this discussion is prefaced around Semchuk's photographic exhibition Coming to Death's Door: A Daughter/Father Collaboration . Within this exhibition the context of two near-death experiences of Semchuk's father is the motivation behind the photographic composites and installation space to the show. This show is looked at as an experiential catalyst for the artist's personal journey through discovering the many layers of her identity. Within the following chapters to this thesis topics of ethnic and cultural identity as well as political, gender, and familial identity are explored. Due to the artistic and visual nature of this topic, this discussion will also pay considerable attention to the dynamics of photography, ritual and space.